28 August

AT Hippo Regius, in Africa, the birthday of St.
Augustine, bishop and famous doctor of the
Church. Converted and baptized by the blessed
bishop Ambrose, he defended the Catholic faith with
the greatest zeal against the Manicheans and other
heretics, and after having sustained many other
labors for the Church of God, he went to his reward
in heaven. His relics, owing to the invasion of barbarians, were first brought from his own city into
Sardinia, and afterwards taken by Luitprand, king
of the Lombards, to Pavia, where they were deposited
with due honors.—At Rome, the birthday of St.
Hermes, an illustrious man, who, as we read in the
Acts of the blessed pope Alexander, was first confined in prison, and afterwards ended his martyrdom by the sword, under the judge Aurelian.—At
Brioude, in Auvergne, St. Julian, martyr, during the
persecution of Diocletian. Being the companion of
the blessed tribune Ferreol, and secretly serving
Christ under a military garb, he was arrested by the
soldiers, and killed in a barbarous manner by having
his throat cut.—At Coutances, in France, St. Pelagius, martyr, who received the crown of martyrdom
under the emperor Numerian and the judge Evilasius.—At Salerno, the holy martyrs Fortunatus,
Caius, and Anthes, beheaded under the emperor
Diocletian and the proconsul Leontius.—At Constantinople, the holy bishop Alexander, an aged and
celebrated man, through whose efficacious prayers
Arius, by the judgment of God, burst asunder and
exposed his intestines.—At Saintes, St. Vivian,
bishop and confessor.—Also, St. Moses, an Ethiopian, who gave up a life of robbery and became a
renowned anchoret. He converted many robbers,
and led them to a monastery.